Mid-term front office grades: Astros, Rangers, and the AL West mess
By Bill Felber
Oakland Athletics: David Forst, general manager. Grade: D.
For the Oakland front office, the offseason was a success when they secured Sacramento as a temporary home while waiting for their new stadium in Las Vegas to be built. That the team is actually playing better than anticipated is a bonus.
On the field, the key word – almost the only word – has been growth. Or at least an effort toward slow growth. Since the end of the 2023 postseason, Forst’s front office has made 29 personnel moves impacting the major league roster. A dozen of those 29 moves produced positive impact, against 11 negatives and six neutrals.
Superficially that sounds like a successful few months. The problem is that almost all the positive play has been fractional. Of 14 players brought in by Forst by trade, signing or promotion, only touted rookie reliever Mason Miller (+0.9) has generated value in excess of half a game.
The one addition of note, starter Ross Stripling, has bombed. He’s 1-9 with a 5.82 ERA in 11 starts, good for a -1.3 impact.
Overall score: -1.6. Grade: D.